I'm with you, Dolcetto is perfect pizza and BBQ wine, drink it within 5 years, and no real presence of oak tannin is all good advice. My longer aged Lake County Primitivo (36 months) is on neutral oak and it's one of my favorite wines, but I will say using a moderate amount of new oak, say less than 33% on Zinfandel from Alexander and Dry Creek is additive, as it fleshes out the mid-back palate structure.
This is so interesting to hear about. How nice it is to have someone in the community who actually MAKES wine and can give their own two cents on it. I would love to try your Primitivo, as I love the grape and your approach to it intrigues me.
I am curious how long it takes for your barrels to be considered neutral? And with something like the wine you are describing, what would you say the ideal drinking window is?
For me, neutral oak tends to be at around the 5th to 6th use. I've got some Gamba barrels that can push some oak flavor on the 5th use. They are helpful with Zinfandel. I tend to have my Italian varietals on my oldest oak, out to 10 years from their original use.
As for drinking window, I'm pouring my 2022 Dolcetto currently and I think it tastes better than it did a year ago. It is likely site specific, but I've never made Dolcetto in Italy. There's a coarseness to the wine when it is young. Coarse tannin, unrefined, bothersome to me. I'm getting better at getting rid of it early but it's a learning process. I make Cabernet, even Petit Verdot, Syrah, all have given me more satisfaction than Dolcetto in 12 months.
Until this 2025 vintage. The Dolcetto is coming around earlier and I like the core of red fruit and acid.
See, this would not surprise me! Such a fascination on the US side with Nebbiolo, and Barbera, which is only natural. BUT, I see the value of Dolcetto only rising as people’s tastes change in what they look for in a wine. As collecting in general declines (perhaps), then more accessible, plush red wines will soar. I put Dolcetto in that category.
I am all about the Italian wines, as you can tell!
I know you have a fascination with Sicilian producers and bottles. I oscillate between Piedmont, Tuscany, and Sicily when it comes to stocking the private cellar.
Wow, what a coincidence we've both published articles on Dolcetto just two days apart! When you go to Piemonte make sure to pass by Enoteca del Ponte (halfway between Alba and Castiglione Falletto) where you can pick up a "Make Dolcetto great again" t-shirt.
Having drunk around quite a lot of the San Luigi "cru" (it seems too large for it to really be a cru and the cru map file on the Barolo website is comically large to download) it does seem like a very good bet if picking out a Dolcetto with little other information to go by. If you can find a producer that makes the confusingly named Nibiö/Nibieü/Dolcetto al peduncolo rosso they are very interesting and even more authoritative, from the few I have tried.
I'm with you, Dolcetto is perfect pizza and BBQ wine, drink it within 5 years, and no real presence of oak tannin is all good advice. My longer aged Lake County Primitivo (36 months) is on neutral oak and it's one of my favorite wines, but I will say using a moderate amount of new oak, say less than 33% on Zinfandel from Alexander and Dry Creek is additive, as it fleshes out the mid-back palate structure.
This is so interesting to hear about. How nice it is to have someone in the community who actually MAKES wine and can give their own two cents on it. I would love to try your Primitivo, as I love the grape and your approach to it intrigues me.
I am curious how long it takes for your barrels to be considered neutral? And with something like the wine you are describing, what would you say the ideal drinking window is?
Great to hear from you, David.
For me, neutral oak tends to be at around the 5th to 6th use. I've got some Gamba barrels that can push some oak flavor on the 5th use. They are helpful with Zinfandel. I tend to have my Italian varietals on my oldest oak, out to 10 years from their original use.
As for drinking window, I'm pouring my 2022 Dolcetto currently and I think it tastes better than it did a year ago. It is likely site specific, but I've never made Dolcetto in Italy. There's a coarseness to the wine when it is young. Coarse tannin, unrefined, bothersome to me. I'm getting better at getting rid of it early but it's a learning process. I make Cabernet, even Petit Verdot, Syrah, all have given me more satisfaction than Dolcetto in 12 months.
Until this 2025 vintage. The Dolcetto is coming around earlier and I like the core of red fruit and acid.
Love Friday night pizza and wine!!
When we visited Piedmont one of the winemakers said that the blood of all Piemontese people is part Dolcetto because they enjoy it so much!
See, this would not surprise me! Such a fascination on the US side with Nebbiolo, and Barbera, which is only natural. BUT, I see the value of Dolcetto only rising as people’s tastes change in what they look for in a wine. As collecting in general declines (perhaps), then more accessible, plush red wines will soar. I put Dolcetto in that category.
Love this write-up. I need to get to a place with more interesting Italian wines!
I am all about the Italian wines, as you can tell!
I know you have a fascination with Sicilian producers and bottles. I oscillate between Piedmont, Tuscany, and Sicily when it comes to stocking the private cellar.
Thanks for the words!
Wow, what a coincidence we've both published articles on Dolcetto just two days apart! When you go to Piemonte make sure to pass by Enoteca del Ponte (halfway between Alba and Castiglione Falletto) where you can pick up a "Make Dolcetto great again" t-shirt.
Having drunk around quite a lot of the San Luigi "cru" (it seems too large for it to really be a cru and the cru map file on the Barolo website is comically large to download) it does seem like a very good bet if picking out a Dolcetto with little other information to go by. If you can find a producer that makes the confusingly named Nibiö/Nibieü/Dolcetto al peduncolo rosso they are very interesting and even more authoritative, from the few I have tried.